'Ordinary guy' heads APC

Tameling aims to help parishioners cope with restructuring

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

"I've always looked on anything as service and I look at this as an opportunity to provide service to the people of God, to the Church," says Edwin Tameling, the council's new chairperson.

"I think the opportunity to serve in a changing Church is a great challenge and a great blessing."

Tameling, a retired teacher, principal and school district administrator, replaced George Lucas as council chairperson in July. He will stay in that position until mid-2001.

Joe Staszko of Fort Saskatchewan is the council's vice-chairperson.

Established in 1987, the APC is a body of representatives of the 10 regions of the archdiocese, the Council of Priests and the Council of Women Religious.

It undertakes shared decision-making with Archbishop Joseph MacNeil on such matters as evangelization, communications, catechetics, pastoral activity and sacramental practice.

The APC's achievements in the past decade include the Synod on the Family and the Transformation of Parishes.

Now the council's role is to help make the transformation "less painful," said Tameling. "There are a lot of people who are grieving because of the changes. If we can help them to handle this grieving process better, that would be great."

As for his own role as APC chair, Tameling wants to be a facilitator - "somebody who can facilitate this ongoing growth and change that's taking place."

He plans to do that by "having meetings that are focused and by enabling people to be heard and to listen effectively."

Tameling, a member of the pastoral council of Wainwright's Blessed Sacrament Parish, represents the Vegreville East Regional Pastoral Council on the APC.

A native of Muenster, Sask., Tameling, 63, taught in Saskatoon Catholic Schools until 1969, then he came to Alberta as principal of Provost's St. Thomas Aquinas School. From 1981 until his retirement in 1994 he served as deputy superintendent of the East Central Alberta Catholic School Division.

Currently he is "helping out" with auto and home insurance "to pass the time."

Tameling has been married to his wife Lee for 33 years and has three grown sons. Prayer is important in his life, he said. "It helps me to focus and it helps me to meditate."

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